Combustion and mixing chamber for dehydrators



I'. C. CHAPMAN. CQMBUSTION ANID MIXING CHAMBER FOR DEHYDRATORS.APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1920. magma N .mm

F. C. CHAPMAN.

COMBUSTION AND MIXING CHAMBER FOR DEHYDRATORS.

APPLICATION FILED-SEPT. Z8, 1920.

AQQA 16.

Patented July M, 1922. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INIENTOR.

or as FRANK C. CHAPMAN, OF MODESTO, CALIFORNIA.

COMBUSTION AND MIXING CHAMBER FOR DEHYDRATORS.\

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1922.

Application'iled September 28, 1920. 'Serial 110.413,452.

To all who/mit may concern `Be it known that I, FRANK G. CHAPMAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Modesto, county of Stanislaus,State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Combustion and Mixing Chambers for Dehydrators; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the charactersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in oil-burning heating furnacesfor dehydrators or fruit drying plants, the principal object being toprovide a device of this character with which a large volume of air maybe heated to a very high degree fwith a minimum of expense, and withwhich the temperature and the quantity of air passed around thedehydrator may be regulated to a nicety.

A second object is to provide means for heating the oil prior to itsadmission to the burner-nozzles, and to provide a supply of steam whichwill be mixed with the oil lssuing from the burners, the generation ofthe steam and the heating of the oil being had with the beati from thefurnace once the burners are started. I have also provided means forregulating the amount of heat which may be utilized to heat the oil andgenerate the steam.

A further object is to arrange for the return of the hot air to themixing chamber after passing through the dehydrator, so

that it may be used over after reheating it,

the amount of fuel to accomplish which being of course considerably lessthan would be necessary to heat an equal amount of cold all?.

This feature alone reduces to a great extent the expense of operation ofthe furnace, saving considerable oil.

.The device may also be used for other purposes than for dehydrators,since it may readily be adapted to heat buildings of any kind, large orsmall.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice, and yet one which will be exceedingly eifective for the purposesfor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on a line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan. section taken on a line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on a line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral 1 denotes a heating or combustion chamber, made oftire clay or brick or simi-Y lar material, and preferably cylindrical,being closed at its outer end by a wall 2.

The inner end is provided with a butteriy damper 3 operable from theexterior by any suitable means.

A plurality of oil-burner nozzles 4 pro.- ject into the chamber 1 on oneside thereof, and preferably at an angle, there being openings 5 in thewalls of the chamber and surrounding the nozzles, the size of saidopenings being regulated by sliding doors G.

The oil supply is taken from a tank or reservoir 7 through a pipe 8which has a coil 9 interposed therein and situated in a chamber 10 abovethe chamber 1 and having communication therewith through an opening 11the size of which is regulated by a sliding damper 12, said chamber 10also having a door 13 at its outer end.

Steam for the nozzles 4 is supplied by means of a pipe 14 which passesthrough a. chamber 15 alongside the chamber 10 but i11- dependentthereof, this chamber having1 communication with the chamber 1 throug anoper-ing 16 fitted with a damper 1 7 and having a door 18 at its outerend similar to the door 13. The pipe 14 leads to and from a boiler 19 ofany suitable character, from which a pipe 20 passes to the nozzles 4.The initial amount of steam is generated by starting a small fire of anysuitable character in the chamber 15.

The chambers 10 and 15 extend to the ine ner end of the combustionchamber 1 and are open at that end, being provided wlth suitable dampers21 near such ends.

These three chambers open into a mixing chamber 22 from which, adjacentthe, chambers 1, 10 and 15, a stack or flue 23 leads upwardly a certaindistance, being provided with dampers 24.

At the opposite end of the chamber 22 is a blower 25 having its intakeopening into said chamber, the discharge from the blower leading throughthe dehydrator, the type of which is preferably that shown in mycopending application Serial No. 378,158, filed May 1st, 1920. Afterpassing around the dehydrator the air is led above the chamber 22 and tothe end of the same adjacent the flue 23 through a return-flue 26.

I may also provide a transverse horizontal adjustable damper 27, hingedadjacent the lower and inner end of the combustion chamber, andprojecting into the mixing chamber 22, so that the highly heated airwill be more positively directed into the flow of cold air coming downthe stack, so as to get a more thorough mixture. I

In operation, the lirst step is the generation of an initial quantity ofsteam for the burners, as described.- rl'he burners are then startedprior to the turning over of the blower, air for the burners being hadthrough the openings 5. At the same time, heat is allowed to enter thechambers 10 and 15,'tlius both heating the oil used therea fter andproviding a suitable supply of steam. Until the combustion of the fuelreaches as near perfection as possible,- the heat is allowed to pass upthe stack 23, so as to allow any smoke or other products due toimperfectcomlmstion to escape.

When sufficient heat is generated, the

blower is started up, drawing the heated air therethrough, a freshsupply being then drawn into the mixing chamber 22 down the stack 23 byreason of the force of the suction of the blower, the amount of cold airbeing thus drawn in being regulated by adjustment of the dampers 24.-.

As soon as the heated air has circulated through the dehydrator and isreturned to the chamber 22, it will be evident that the burners ma becut down, as less cold air is then being dr necessary to raise thisonce-circulated air to the required degree of heat.

As the burners are throttled down the amount of heat entering thechambers 1f.) and 15 may be also cut down, so that the oil will not beoverheated nor an undue head of steam generated.

The use of a circular combustion chamber, and the projection of theburner nozzles thereinto at a forward angle and substantially at atangent, are very important features since by this means the flamewhirls or spirals around the chamber several timos before issuing at theinner end, thus insuring' awn in, and not so much fuel is of the device,still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to asdonot form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined theappendedclaims.

Having thus described my inventibn what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is: A f

1. A device of the character described including a combustion chamber,oil burners projecting thereinto, a steam supply pipe connected to saidburners, and a pair of independent chambers adjacent the combustionchamber and communicating therewith, the oil supply pipe passing throu hone of said last named chambers and t esteam pipe passing through theother one thereof.

2. A device of -the character described including a combustion chamber,oil burners projecting thereinto, a steam supply pipe connected to saidburners, a pair of independent chambers adjacent the combustion chamberand communicating therewith, and means for regulating the degree of heatin said chambers, the oil supply pipe passing through one of the sameand a water pipe connected with the steam pipe passing through the otherone of said chambers.

3. A device of the character described in cluding cylindrical combustionchamber closed at its outer en d and opening into an air-mixing chamberat its inner end and burner nozzles projecting into the chamber atafforward angle thereto and substantially tangential. therewith.

4. A device of the character described, includin a combustion chamber,oil burners projecting thereinto, a steam supplyk with i including acombustion chamber, oil burn ers projecting thereinto, a steam supplypipe connected to said burners, a pa1r of independent chamberscommunicatlng with the 'QmbuSton chamber, the Q11 .supply maaar@ pipepassing through one chamber and the steam pipe passing through theother, independent means for each chamber for controlling the amount .ofheat which may pass therein from the combustion chamber, and meansindependent from said first named means for controlling the admission pof relatively cool air to said chambers independently of each other.

6. A device of the character described including a combustion chamberopening t one end into an air-mixing chamber, oil urners projectingthereinto, a steam supply pipe connected to said burners, a pair ofindependent chambers communicating with the combustion chamber, the oilsupply pipe passing through one chamber and the steam pipe passingthrough the other, adjustable dampers between said chambers and the 4itsinner end, and

7. A device of the character describedA comprislng a relatively longcylindrical combustion chamber closed at its outer end and opening intoan air mixing chamber at a plurality' of longitudinally spaced burnernozzles projecting into the chamber tangentially thereof and at aforward an 1e, whereby the flames issuing from the nozes will worktoward the inner end of the chamber in the form of spirals sweeping theentire Surface of the chamber walls. L j- In testimony whereof I afx mysignature.

FRANK 'CARPENTER CHAPMAN.

